Self-retaining coupling-washer.



u and MUELLE'R., 0F DECATU, LLNOIS ASSGNOE TO Hi MUELLER MANUBG TUHNG- CMPANY, GF DEC.'LTUR, TZLLINOS, A. COR'POBJATIN 0F HLLN meinem.

b all 'whom' it many concern l Be it known that l, ROBERT iiinnnnnna a. citizen oi the United' States, residing at De-` catur, the county of Macon :md State o' illinois, have inveifite@l nenY and useful linin'irovenients in Selllietaining Couplii'igiilffisliei's, of lwhich liei'ollowing is a. specifiezilion. f

Wiy invention relates to improvemenis in eainingg coupling Washers, and particular i'eletion 'Le ev'iees of l'yi'iis 'ehm-ee ier adapted te lie used in Connex'. ,ionjxitii couplings of different tyyes, such for inszzinee nos are employed' lor eonnec'lzin' dii'- ferent seei/ions of loose Wi'li each ey' Wit-li a hyl'li'nn o1' anl no oi from m liquide adapted of designed il T32 foi i, pnrliiese we pm! tween ne @ppn feces 'z ile c meeting' ineinl'ieiel alle eeupiingg enel the oo possi? 0' connect' ifi member, inne leiter genen I f 0 r ngij the female poition oi he cow Y rele `ion therein@ tl liew'een the emi Lief i ankers my ille fiction @if lle en figlie. infile and ie nel iupling. Weekers for @lne i v nodal we been mafie of diliei'enl', in

A il

ule-

' .g in eg'iening can be ,engi

.ie wiembe'f: o Sneli l i.

lie path e1? least esistunce. i hei-e the Celli inernliei' is formell oi.E .wo vether the lie'w; of ne so slniieted attempts le an the contacting 0': eppeoi'm? :C rin-'o 'parte of the el ling' and when the conplin ie gein roede.; eine@ laiieie y Specification of Letters Eatent.

is no Surety that the pais wili assume the poiiionss 'piovided by lie- {iist cou-- pling operation. For these reasons ey soft metal gasket structure is not considered as an ei'lioient closure in Connection with eonplings having the female inen'iliei of @be connection. oined wo parte swiveled lo getliei'. By ie'ason of lie nmieiizil the eo ,ipiession of the. gasliel; peii'nits oi' ezulees the outer periphery tlieieo'l o engage wili and eonlioirni to elio seifew lneeds oi' the female n'iembex', and in this manner "retain the Wasi/ier in position when this connection is maiale; but, ze lieire'o'loi-e Stated, lieclisml Yes in alle to ei'n'ploy ai soft metal "nieket in eonneluien with detachable Whe 'Elie 'female nienbeif is of one pauw evv'i'v'eled to another, eye

enflei mieli Structure inipruebieziwel' 1 is eiinefi o'i robber 'aos posivmn. whieliinclmles rubber hnl; olie resultant etiurlnre nini' xiiiiliij/ und resiliency) die wueliei A Liiaiine 1 less lnin that oi" the i ie screw tlii'ezids oi the ii alle @res-ult that. the

' eli if iin the member .i f u Whenuclziinped in posi y line mele menilien Obviously I lose washer gfie female meinl'lei can ily lelie place when 'the parte are Sopa ne; when he liee is being' elet-ached 'i'fon'i bill eeelf-i; ei" hyiiirnns, or when being :across :i lawn et' being put away, and. te iii-eveneilioiiping out of the Washei inning coupling;7 'the female men'iber-in ei,- "ie ril); be heul 'un auch position ne :En

The present invention aims to eliminate liese objections and ,provide a structure which includes all oi the advantages poeses ,eil by both types 01E sfbnetuies.

principal object of my invention ism, Merel im ,provide a Washei possessii'lg the qnuliies of flexibility, elasticity and ie siliency, Willi means forged integral there with im* engaging the screw threads oi' other abutment 'oimei'l on the inner peiiiiliei'y of llio female member of the coupling izo prov vide :i self-ifeaining element 'for the washer.

[i ifui'lsliei' object is to provide ai washer' ,throughout its main having a substantially uniform cross section portion, with an outer peripheral congurationof a character which ency.

lfemale member of the y ling,

will' seat within the screw threads of the coupling, the whole being formed of a material possessing the qualities of flexibility, elasticity and resili- A further objectis to provide a washer, possessed of the qualities of iiexibility, elasticity and resiliency, with an integral peripheral rib or iiange extending outwardly in a circular plane, said' rib being continuous or interruptedin the direction of its length as Amay be desired, and which has a cross sectional configuration adapted to fit within a thread of the female member of the coupling, saidrib possessing the same quali.- ties as the main portion of the washer, the rib of the wash r forming a self-retaining element.

Other objects are to provide a structure which is durable in construction, whichxzan be readily inserted within the which will retain its position within thecouwhich, if necessary, may be. moved engthwise of. the coupling during the cou pling up 'of the coupling members, which isefficient in operation, and which can be .50 cross sectional view of the washer.

Lmy improved washer changed from 'one coupling to another without affecting its usefulness.

To these and other ends, the nature of which will be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consist in the improved' construction and combinationiof parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which` ,d similar reference characters indicateosimilar parts in eachof the vie Ws:`-Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal sectional view of a hose coupling in coupled position, showing in position therein. Fig is a sectional view ofthe female mem' showing the washer in illustrating the impossibility of the washer dropping out o the coupling. Fig. 3 is a Fi 4 1s a perspective view illustrating the Inganner in which the washer is doubled u for the purpose of insertin if it Within the female member of 'a coupling; Fig. -5 is an elevation showing a modied form of peripheral rib structure.

` 1 My improved washer, designatedV as 10,

is formedof avmater'ial which possessesthe .quality of iexibility, elasticityl and resiliency, such 'for instance as rubber, being preferably of the general type of'washers,

portion apprcximatel having a central openng 1l, and having the diameter of the outer periphery of its main f equal to the inner coupling,

lthe rib will be such as will the accompanying .stantially parallel with in Fig. 4 may cause a binding on the e diameter of the threads of thefemalc niember of a coupling, this main portion of the washer, indicated as l2, having its side faces parallel with each other to provide a cross section somewhat similar to a rectangle.

Formed integral with the washer and, located on the outer periphery thereof is an annular rib 13 preferably extending circularly therearound, said rib having a width less than the width of the main portion of the washer and having a projection length to approximately correspond with the depth of the screw threads of :the female member of the coupling. As this rib is formed integral with the main portion of the washer, it also possesses the qualities of liexibility, elasticity and resiliency, but being of a less cross sectional arca than that of the main portion of the washer, the iiexibility thereof is suliicicntly increased to permit of a ready insertion of the washer within the coupling member. The rib is preferably positioned at one side of the width of the washer, as shown in the drawings, and .may be either in the form of a continuous rib or one which is interruptedin the direction of its length, as for instance a structure such as indicated in Fig.y 5, one or more interruptions in the continuity of the rib being provided. Preferably the interruptions in the continuity of produce a series of symmetrically arrangedlcngaging lugs so that the washer will be balanced that is by reason of this symmetrical arrangement will, when inserted in the coupling, take a concentric'position, and not bc placed eccentric to the bore of the coupling, as would be the case if the symmetrical arrangemenvJ lshown iii-Fig. 5 was not observed. (lr, if esired, more than one peripheral rib-may be employed, each rib lying in a plane suba face of the washer or coincident therewith so that one face of the rib is substantially flush with a face of the body portion of the washer.

n employing the washer herein disclosed, it may be inserted within the female member of the coupling in any preferred manner, Fig. 4, illustrating one way in which this result can be produced, `the washer beiney doubled up insucli manner as will permit of its ready insertion within the coupling mem ber, it being obvious that while the change in shape produced by the fingers as indicated ongate diametrical length of the douldled washer, the elasticity and resiliency of the member and its rib will permit suicient yielding rearwardly to enable the washer to i b e inserted within the coupling member, the rib moving over the threads under the pressure placed thereon by the fingers: it will also be understood that if necessary, the washer may be forced rearwardlyto a greater extent by pressure applied by any vim;

meinem suitebe instrumentfm the threading of the mele member within the female member will cause the Washer to be moved along over'the serew-threads untilh it contacts with theopposite fece engaged by it when in clampedposing clamping eces of the two coupling` members beingeindicated at 16a.

The advantages of this construction have been heretofore pointed out and are believed' to be obvious, the structure providing all of the advantages possessedby both the sott metal gasket and the ordinary Washer strucl tures and at the same time eliminatin ail of. the disadvantages ypossessed by 'th niptey While i have herein shown and described one Way in which my invention may be cer-v ried out7 changestherein maybe triade, and

' 'i desire itto be understood. that l reserve the right to make any and all such 'modificetions4 therein as may be made necessary by the coin-4 ditions arising m use,.1n so far as such modiieations may fall Within the spirit and scope pany/ing claims.

Having thus described my lnvention wha l clelm as new is:

of my invention as expressed in the accom- L A self-retaining washer for hose com plings formed of flexible materlal and pro- I Witnesses:

ivided with a central openinggsaid Weeber having on its external periphery en integral relatively thin rib one face of which is substantially flush with a face of the Washer and of such resiliency that it will yield readily tope'rmit the insertion of .the Washer into athremded coupling and engage the threads thereof to lock the washer 1n place after it has been positioned. v 2. itself-retaining Washer for hose couplings formed of lexiblemeterial and provided [with a central opening; seid Washer heving on its external periphery an integral relatively thin rib one face of which is sub;

stantially Afiush with a fece of the Washer" and of such resiliency that it Wili yield reed ily to permit the insertion of the Washer into 'a threaded coupling and engage the'threeds thereof to. lock the Washer in place after it hee been positioned, seid thread engaging .rib being interrupted in the direction ot' its lmth to form a series of syr'ninetrix:eliyeri"` winged pro'ections.

3. le eel -reteining washer for hoseLeon,

plie f formed .of exible materiel and pre-- with a central opening; seid Washer having on its externa! periphery e pinraiity of symmetrically-arranged 'projections en? less thickness thanlthe body of the Washer eo es to yield readily tf1-permit the Washer to be n inserted in a hose coupling and to engage the threads thereof to lockV the "Washer 1n place.

In testimony whereof l have hereunte eet lmy hand in presence of two subscribing witsonner menne.

W. R. Bumm, 0. H. Hn'rmnnn. 

